


Tutelage - Crown Prince Lee

by faustianpixie



Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [43]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassin Hoshi, Character Study, Confidante Jun, Consort Kwon Soonyoung, Crown Prince Dino, M/M, Mystery, Philosophy, Story within a Story, Storytelling, Teacher-Student Relationship, Warning for safety. Not that graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:08:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26046268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faustianpixie/pseuds/faustianpixie
Summary: “Hyung?”“Hmm?”“Why are stitching today?”“Because.”“Because...?”“Because.”“Soonyoung-ah, stop teasing Chan-ah.” Jun cut in.~~~~~~~~Consort Soonyoung and Confidante Jun tell Dino a story in the pastDO TRY!!! PLEASE? PLEEEEEASE?
Relationships: Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi & Lee Chan | Dino, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Lee Chan | Dino & Wen Jun Hui | Jun
Series: Daily Lives of Regular Palace Residents 1- Soonhoon [43]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828549
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37





	Tutelage - Crown Prince Lee

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR TUNING IN~~~  
> Sorry I was late in posting. The kids in my apartment made my day by playing with me. Ah~ Youth~ I felt like Soonyoung a little. With the maknae line eheheheeh. three boys too heheheheh  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE

“Hyung?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are stitching today?”

“Because.”

“Because...?”

“Because.”

“Soonyoung-ah, stop teasing Chan-ah.” Jun cut in.

They were bickering for a long time before this and then finally, after Minghao yelled at them,did they get to work. But here it had started again. Jun just wanted peace and quiet as they stitched. It was hard to sit still for so long and harder to listen to these two bickering. Lucky Minghao had one with Seokmin and Mingyu for a meeting with Joshua. Something about preparations.

“Why?” Soonyoung shot back.

Chan glared.

“We are stitching today because Soonyoungie’s leg is hurt.”

“How? When? Where?”

Chan jumped up and seemed to fret over Soonyoung. Going so far as to try and pry his robes open to reach his pants. Chan wasn’t able to reach it though because Soonyoung was tugging his clothes back violently.

Soonyoung glared at Jun.

_ Oh. _

Jun pursed his lips. He couldn’t tell Chan that he hurt it on a mission.

“I..was sparring...with him.” Jun covered.

“Oh...?” Chan didn’t seem to believe it for a second. He sat back and gave Jun a disbelieving look.

“Anyway, as a result, I tore my robe!” Soonyoung said, holding out the black cloth.

Chan raised an eyebrow and stared at Soonyoung for an answer.

“I don’t believe that for a second, but I’m going to hold my questions for later.”

Jun sighed. That helped a lot. Might prevent Soonyoung from strangling him later on too.

They went back to quietly stitching. Chan was just practicing mending clothes for now and cutting fabric

“So...got anything to pass the time?” Chan asked. “Any tales from lands you visited?”

Soonyoung pursed his lips. Jun knew why. He didn’t much like to tell what he did on missions. If Jun asked, he would simply get the answer ‘I can’t’. Not ‘I don’t want to’. But ‘I can’t’. As if it was something he couldn’t describe.

“Maybe you know some stories about Hoshi?”

“Why are you so obsessed about that man huh?!?!” Soonyoung reacted while throwing some cloth at Chan.

“Because you all are so secretive about him! You guys know him right?” 

Soonyoung gave him an ‘Are you mad?’ look but that didn’t deter the questions one bit.

“I know a story about him. Not from him though. Will that help?” Jun tried.

That gravitated the eager youth to his side.

Soonyoung glared from behind him.  _ Don’t you dare say anything revealing. _ Jun just nodded in reassurance.

“One day, a traveller from the south told the Assassin a story, Doran and Secessia. Would you like to hear it first?”

Chan set aside his stitching and listened carefully. Soonyoung however tried to ignore it by stitching faster. Jun sighed. Hoshi had just got some trust from the King and Seungcheol. And he was understandably scared about squandering it.

“Well, there was once a young traveller named Doran who had gone to discover lands to the West of the West. And did so with travellers who had gone there before. She was coached by them. ‘Do not question the locals’.”

Soonyoung smirked. Boy did they remember that story.

“And the young Doran trusted her seniors. Finally, after an arduous journey with many hardships, they were rescued by the people of a village. They called their kingdom Secessia. With unique culture and features. The people were all rather tall and thin. With larger eyes than what we have. They wore robes of either black or white. Nothing in between. The only metal they ever wore would be symbols of marriage - a lip ring.”

“Speaking of marriage, only very few married the ones they loved.” Soonyoung grumbled. No matter how irritated he was, he couldn’t resist this story’s retelling.

“What do you mean?” Chan asked. He had resorted to looking at Jun then to Soonyoung and back to him. As if they were passing a ball back and forth.

Jun huffed a laugh. “Well, most men were married to the service of the High priestess of the land who resided in the city’s temple.”

“All of them? To her?”

Jun smirked. “Yes. And when Doran found out about this, and was about to ask questions, she remembered what her seniors had advised. And didn’t speak a word. But she observed. The innkeeper who had accepted the party was hired to be their travel guide. He took them to the different sights of the city! The markets, the local theatre and the fields they worked.

“Everything! Decorated in black and white. Even the food. They painted the leaves white and the food black with natural dyes. It was quite the confusing place for young Doran. So, after the tour ended, in the privacy of the inn, she asked her innkeeper, ‘Why is everything in black and white here?’”

Jun turned to Chan “Do you know?” 

Chan frowned, “No. What did the innkeeper reply?”

“Well, the innkeeper bit his lip ring in worry and checked for people eavesdropping. Then said, ‘Our priestess will not have it otherwise’.”

Chan had some choice words judging by the scowl. But Jun didn’t let him start before he finished the entire story.

“Doran remembered her seniors' words and kept quiet. It went on for a few days, this pattern actually. Doran would see any other dye being thrown out. The people exiled for different things. All he received when he questioned however, was ‘Our Priestess will not have it otherwise’.

“And they just left?”

“Now shh. Listen. There'll be time to ask questions later.”

Chan was suddenly like a giant dog that had been tamed. He wiggled closer to Soonyoung and urged Jun to go on. 

“Anway, Doran, she tried to accept what she saw around her. But it was one incident that tipped the scales. As they were leaving the inn to visit the market again, they saw a large crowd forming. Doran immediately rushed into the crowd noticing some cries. Her seniors tried to stop him but this time, she couldn't ignore them...

"In the centre lay a man almost dead. With his last breath in his lungs and clutching a crying child in his arms. As he saw Doran,his bruised lips smiled in relief. But before she could react, the man had died."

Jun stared out of the window and remembered the day Soonyoung's mother had told them of her ancestor's travels to those lands.

"Enraged, Doran turned to the mob and asked, 'Why? Why would you do such a thing? This man had a child!' And the only reply she received was, 'It is for the child that the man had to die.'”

“What?!!?”

Chan’s exclamation brought Jun back to his lesson. “Doran reacted to that just as you did. To that, someone pointed out the red lips the child sported. Swollen. ‘It is not white. This man refused to paint it white.’

Doran was shocked enough by the death, but this was worse. She yelled, ‘So what?’ and the familiar reply came - ‘Our Priestess will not have it otherwise’. And just like that, the crowd dispersed. Doran and her fellow travellers were left in the street. Staring, appalled and disgusted by the man’s corpse holding the baby and the village that let this happen.

Suddenly incensed, Doran and her fellow travellers decided to confront this cruel priestess. What kind of monster would let their citizens lynch people? Finally, the number of crowds, the innkeeper had steered them away from had made sense. This wasn’t the first time. And it wouldn’t be that last if they didn’t do anything about it.”

Jun focused back on Soonyoung who was also remembering the days they were like Chan. Listening to such stories. So Jun continued, just as Soonyoung’s mother had continued.

“So, they raided the temple with all they could ignoring the protests from the people.”

Chan perked up. Expecting action.

“But after a mere five minute, they came out, with a wooden doll painted white.”

Chan gaped.

“‘This was found on the bed of the priestess. Is this really your leader?’ Doran asked the crowds assembled. But no coherent responses reached her ears as they were flooded with wailing and weeping. The people had descended into madness. Some collapsed, some started to beat their fellow people. Riots, burning, looting took hold in an instant. The peace that existed in the city was replaced with anarchy.

Luckily, Doran took her party to safety outside the walls of the city in a carriage and were accompanied by their innkeeper.

As they saw smoke rise above the city walls and blood seep onto the main road, Doran asked the innkeeper a last time, ‘Why are they doing this to each other?’ The Innkeeper didn’t turn to her. But looking out at his burning homeland said, ‘Don’t you see? With the priestess non-existent, our killings are now our own.’”

Jun completed the story and focused back on dazed Soonyoung and Chan. Soonyoung was clearly remembering his mother. But what was Chan doing?

“Channie?”

“I have so many questions..” The boy was definitely trying to think of where to begin.

“How about-”

“Is the story true?”

Jun shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Then how do we know? Did they ever return?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Then how do we know of this story?”

“Maybe it’s a lie?”

Chan furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. “Why would someone lie like this? Clearly there must be a source!”

“Well, none of them credible. May I ask a question then?”

Chan paused. And Soonyoung also seemed to come back. Even stared at him.  _ What would you want to ask? _

“So, if you were in Hoshi’s place and heard this story, what do you think would be the moral of this story?”

That received no immediate response. Chan seemed to wonder for a long time and they gave him his time.

“I think...it's about how you should think for yourself. Not just go on listening to everyone else. You should make decisions for yourself. Doran did that. And that helped.”

“Hmm. So you want to think for yourself as a King. Or when you can.”

Chan looked up in shock. “How did you-”

“The purpose of a story is not to tell you what to think, but give you questions to think upon. So people see in stories what they are searching for, Channie.” Soonyoung completed. “Just as a bald man sees hair everywhere.”

Chan stifled a laugh at the example. But then a question left his lips. “What did Hoshi say to it?”

Jun smirked at Soonyoung saying, “He said, it was about the responsibility. The people were happy to kill and murder as long it wasn’t put on their conscience.”

~~~~~From the Private Account of the Confidante Wen Junhui, Jun~~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT SO FAR!!!!!  
> I love this song and I adapted it from one who walked away from omelas and a small story from brandon sanderson's works. Its one of my favorite discussions!!!!  
> I honestly think it is a piece that tells you a lot about Dino and Hoshi. But which one more is up to you.  
>  **QUESTION FOR COMMENTS: what is your INTERPRETATION OF THE STORY?**  
>   
>   
>  PLEASE COMMENT YOUR CHOICE AND ANSWER BELOW  
>   
>   
> PLEASE COMMENT IN GENERAL T_T  
> THANK YOUUUU  
> FAUSTIAN PIXIE  
> @Myalurks This is my public twitter ID! Do interact uwu


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